He came back
by mandarin'peel
Summary: he smiled. he left. once there was a girl...and she couldn't live in reality. sakuraxsasuke
1. she couldn't

_Once there was a girl…_

"Please, even if you have to leave, at least take me with you, just don't leave me behind! Please, I'll help you become stronger, I'll help you avenge you're clan, just please don't leave me here!" She cried body shaking with fear, fear of being alone without him.

He smirked, and before she could even react she was unconscious lying on a park bench. His expression turned softer, and a smile crossed his lips.

"Thank you… Sakura" And he left.

_What would happen if someone wouldn't-couldn't live in reality?_

She couldn't. And no matter how she analyzed it, criticized it, inspected it from all directions, she could only come up with one conclusion. She wasn't living in reality. And it drove her crazy.

She sat on a park bench-the very same one he had left her on, and smiled. Only her smile was bittersweet, looking as if she had been through more than she would have liked.

The wind blew softly through her hair, lifting it up the soft cherry blossom pink strands in the autumn breeze. Her gaze wandered to the sky. On days like this, when the world was too much for her to bear, she returned to her sanctuary, a spot no one knew about except for her.

Because it only existed in her mind. Sometimes she felt as if the only place she could find happiness was there, where everything was perfect. There she had a best friend. And sure, they fought, but she knew deep down they were as close as sisters.

There everyone was happy, sadness did not exist. There on a warm summer day she could she Naruto at his beloved Ramen stand, and shy Hinata bravely trying to converse with him, there she saw Neji Tenten and Lee strolling together, Neji smiling softly at his teammates, his friends. She could see Kiba yelling at Naruto with Akamaru barking close behind, but she knew he was only teasing. Konoha was tightly knit together by unbreakable bonds there.

There, there was no such thing as death, but those who had passed on before her lifetime would always remain in the hearts of everyone, never forgotten. Never ever forgotten.

There…Sasuke was back. Not the Sasuke that had left her, the one she had fell in love with. There she could see him smirking, while secretly enjoying the antics of his friends. His friends. And there, he didn't even have to love her back, as long as he was just _there_, and with her again. Sometimes there, he would even love her back, even if only as a sister. He protected her.

There Team 7 was back together, doing missions, and teasing each other

And they always came back safe. Always. Because Naruto trusted Sasuke and Sasuke trusted Sakura and Sakura trusted Naruto and Sasuke trusted Naruto and Naruto trusted Sakura. An unbreakable bond.

This was her sanctuary, a place she retreated when life was too much, when she could face the harshness of the world around her.

_Once there was a girl…and she couldn't live in reality._


	2. she discovered

Footsteps came near. She tensed, glancing at the intruder. There was a all too familiar presence, Out of the forest stepped Naruto arm draped around a boys shoulders, battered, but grinning.

"Naruto…" She ran up to him checking for serious wounds.

"Hey Sakura, you haven't already forgotten who Sasuke was have you?" Naruto panted, his smile stretching even wider.

Her hand froze. Slowly she glanced up at the boy who was currently supporting her teammate. He was standing there somewhat awkwardly, but he was truly, truly there.

From her kneeling position, she felt something wet running down her cheeks. She realized with a soft start that they were her own tears. She shook her head violently; her mind was tricking her again…but the boy remained, hands in pockets, looking very much real.

"Sasuke-kun…?" She tentatively whispered, afraid he would disappear again, that she was still living in her mind.

He grinned.

"Hey Sakura…"

_Once there was a girl…and she discovered reality wasn't so bad after all. _


End file.
